North Alabama woman pleads guilty to health care fraud

A former Gadsden pharmacy technician pleaded guilty today to health care fraud totaling more than $330,000 for illegal prescription reimbursements she received, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley.

Charlotte Turley, 52, of Rainbow City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. during a hearing in Huntsville this morning. She pleaded guilty to four counts of health care fraud and agreed to forfeit at least $331,118 to the government as proceeds of illegal activity, according to the statement.

Turley had been indicted by a federal grand jury in April.

According to Turley's plea agreement with prosecutors, she schemed to defraud Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama between June 2005 and July 2008 while she worked at an East Gadsden K-Mart store. As a pharmacy technician, Turley entered insurance claim information for prescription drugs into the store's computer system.

According to her plea agreement, Turley had entered false information to reflect she received prescriptions that were never prescribed, and that she received reimbursements from Blue Cross and Blue Shield for the fake prescriptions.

"When someone steals money intended to pay legitimate claims, it results in higher overall health insurance costs to everyone," Vance said. "We intend to be vigilant in detecting and prosecuting this type of crime. Would-be health care criminals are not welcome in Alabama."